From the Head of School
We have just finished our first month of school and we are very pleased with how our students are progressing with their studies. In a few weeks we will have an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with you during our Parent-Teacher Conference days scheduled for October 15 to 16. Information and sign up procedures will be sent out next week. Prior to the conferences, K-8 students will also receive a Mid-term Progress Report to let them, and you, know how they are doing with the distance-learning program. Copies of this assessment form can be found on Renweb in the ‘Family Portal’ on ‘Resource Documents’.
Like many school leaders in LA County, I have been following the weekly telebriefings put on by the Department of Public Health with updates on the reopening protocols for K-12 schools. I was pleased to hear at the last briefing that LA County has met the metric threshold for Tier 2 and now must continue to meet these metric thresholds for two consecutive weeks before moving to this tier. This will allow schools in the county to reopen for on-campus instruction. In the meantime, we have been doing a number of things to get ready for this. These include installing more sinks for hand washing, acquiring more PPE and sanitation materials, and developing our Pandemic Response Plan. In addition all faculty and staff have been taking a training program on dealing with COVID 19 in the school environment. I will continue to provide weekly updates on the COMPASS on our path to re-opening the school.
Our next whole school assembly on Google Meet will take place on Friday, October 2. This will be an exciting assembly, as it will include election speeches put on by the candidates for student council. We will also celebrate all the birthdays since the last assembly. Here are the candidates for Student Council Executive positions that we will hear from next week:
President
Aiden R.
Vice President
Dominic S.
Secretary
Zoey A.
Isabella D.
Juliet R.
Nandini S.
Public Relations
Austin D.
Aydan F.
Patris K.
This Monday we will close the school in celebration of Yom Kippur. As an IB World School, our goal is to acknowledge and celebrate the cultural diversity of our community and through our program teach our students to be internationally minded. We are guided by the IB mission:
The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
During the year we will focus on diverse cultural celebrations, which are important to our community, either in our assemblies and/or in the COMPASS. I would also like to add that the COMPASS is now posted every week on our school website: www.gpsschool.org. Click "The Compass" tab on the top menu. Previous newsletters can also be found there.
We are guided by the IB mission statement that reads:
Yom Kippur
by Cathy Weinstein, Administrative Assistant
Yom Kippur is celebrated on 10 Tishrei, or September 28 this year. Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement, and is the holiest day of the Jewish year. The day is observed by a total fast (no food or water) for the full day from sundown to sundown for Jewish people who are ritually adults (over 13) and who are healthy. The day is spent in communal prayer and study. The period from Rosh Hashanah (New Year) to Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Repentance: Jews reflect on their actions over the past year, ask for forgiveness from those they have wronged (and grant forgiveness when asked), and make plans to not repeat the wrong in the future.
After a day of fasting and prayer, Jewish families and friends gather (though this year it will mostly be online or just the immediate family) and break the fast with a festive meal. One of the customary food items is a round, upward-spiral shaped loaf of challah bread, which symbolizes that we should always strive for a higher level of holiness.
If you want to greet a Jewish friend for either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, one way is to say “Shanah tova,” which means “A good year.”
Education for a Better World
I hope you had a chance to watch the short video I mentioned last week about the I.B. Learner Profile. As a follow up to that I also encourage you to watch this video on the IB titled ‘Education for a Better World.’
Meet Lee Ignacio
This week we are pleased to introduce another member of our talented and dedicated faculty. Ms. Lee Ignacio is teaching our Kindergarten/First Grade combined class. She joined the CHA/GPS faculty in 2009. Prior to that she was part of the CHA family as a parent for her then preschooler, Samantha, who graduated from CHA in 2017. Sammy was truly a model IB student while at CHA, and continued with the IB program at Granada Hills Charter High School, which is across the street from our school. In addition to teaching at GPS, Lee also helps teach at a karate studio, which is something she really enjoys doing. Lee, who is famous at GPS for her dynamic and engaging lessons and outstanding collection of teddy bears, tells us that, “as much as I love teaching all my students, what I enjoy most is learning something new from them everyday”.
After School Basketball Training Program
We will start co-ed basketball practices the week of October 5. Here are the details:
Practice Days: Grades 2-5 will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays
Grades 6-8 will practice Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: All practices will be on campus from 3:45 – 5:00 pm
Dates: The program will run from October 5 to November 19
Details: Due to current COVID restrictions, there will be no games played and all students will be required to wear masks. Other details will be outlined with the registration forms.
Program Cost: $125 for the entire program.
Registration Forms: Will be sent out next week by separate email.
Register your Ralph's Card
Register your Ralph's Card in the Community Contribution Program and choose GPS as your organization. It's easy to do. Find out how to create an account and register your card here.
NPO number SX851
(We are currently listed under Chatsworth Hills Academy )
If you've participated in the program in the past you need to register your card every year. Please check your account using the link above.